On A Cloudy Day
by hatchetation
Summary: "According to our sources, reporters Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins are still being held in an unknown location in North Korea. The two women made it to Pyongyang before losing connection with the outside world." AU Calzona
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is a combination of two of my favorite things: North Korea and Callie and Arizona (I guess that's three things...). Anyway, it involves lots of Grey's characters, but it's mostly about Calzona. Let me know what you think!**

_"According to our sources, reporters Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins are still being held in an unknown location in North Korea. The two women made it to Pyongyang before losing connection with the outside world. National Geographic, which sponsored the investigation into the Hermit Kingdom, has declined to comment on the situation. The State Department has said only that 'the situation is being handled, but at this time we cannot comment.' There should be more to come on this issue, but for now, let's go to Justin Chiu with the weather."_

-At National Geographic HQ-

"Dammit Richard, what have you gotten us tangled up in? You told me that this was 'a routine look into China's growing economy', or some bullshit like that! Robbins and Torres weren't supposed to be anywhere near the border."

"A level of deception, Mr. Jennings, was necessary."

"Deception?" Mr. Jennings whispered, his anger barely contained. "No Webber, this isn't deception, this is insanity and if you think I'm going to pay for your mistakes, you've got another thing…"

"The only thing I've _got_ is a meeting in five minutes. If you'll excuse me."

And with that, Richard Webber calmly walked out of the room. _Karev better have some answers, dammit, or this ship is sinking…_

-Seattle, Washington-

"Senator Avery? I've got Richard Webber on line 1 and the president on line 2. I think they're calling about the same thing…you know, the—"

"The North Korea thing, I know." A sigh. "Alright, give me two minutes with Webber and then I'll talk to the president."

It had been a rough week and a rainy one. Usually, Jackson liked the rain. Sure it made getting to work a pain, but he felt safe in the rain. Each fat droplet that hit his window seemed to be telling him that life was waiting for him, even calling to him. Still, the ball remained firmly in his court. If he wanted to take a risk, he would have to make the first move.

"Richard, I know what you're calling about and I'm—"

"Don't say you're sorry, Jackson. Don't say it. I bet right now, you're staring at a memo from your mother. It's probably telling you to wait for her before you answer me."

Jackson stared at his e-mail and pinched the bridge of his nose. Webber was being an old, arrogant, insightful ass, yet again. "Look, sir, I know that you need my money and I also know that I can't give it to you. If I could help out Robbins or Torres, you know I would. But at this point, it's asking for too much."

"Just think about it for a moment, before you hang up. Think about who you are. Think about who you want to be."

His e-mail pinged. From: Catherine Avery/Subject: Wait on NK. For one second, his mind went blank.

"Alright, I'm in."

-Somewhere in North Korea-

Her hands were white with cold and her teeth chattered as wind blew across her face. _So this is a Korean winter. I thought Yang was exaggerating. _

She had known the risks, had made an extensive (if not exhaustive) pros-and-cons list, had discussed it at length with Bailey, though she wasn't supposed to. And in the end, she had chosen to investigate North Korea.

It had gone well, at first. They crossed the border without issue and hopped onto a train that they believed would take them to Pyongyang. She had been on difficult international missions before, but none with this level of confidence. Perhaps therein lay her trouble. She knew she was arrogant; she knew it; she knew it. But one of them needed to stand strong and unafraid. Stupid.

They had kissed softly in the forest, before boarding the train. Callie's cheek had been so warm against her hand, so pink. Her eyes had fluttered like snowflakes the moment before they hit the ground. _Oh God it's cold. _Her stomach growled and she felt like throwing up._ Why did I leave her? She needs me. And I left without looking back. _

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	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the follows and reviews, guys! They made my (otherwise super depressing) day! Hope you like this chapter...Tell me what you think of the President! Oh, and don't hate me too much; I'm letting Calzona burn slowly. **

-Detention Center 17, Pyongyang-

Callie was numb. On her first day in the DC, she thought that the numbness was just her body's reaction to her utterly unheated cement cell. Natural. Now, she felt her mind slowly shutting down, as well. She was young and healthy. She had spent two years in the Peace Corps, for God's sake!

_I'm an idiot. _She had realized that the trip would be difficult; North Korea was known for its impenetrable demilitarized zone and clinical brutality against perceived threats within the country. Still, Arizona seemed so confident and self-assured. They would be in and out. And maybe when they got home, they would figure out their relationship.

Callie was new, to being a journalist and to speaking the Vagina Monologues, as Addison so aptly put it. She had understood that her lack of experience might be an issue on this journey. But that was why Webber had paired her with Arizona! They complemented each other-Arizona's experience in the field plus Callie's passion for human rights activism guaranteed a hard-hitting story.

_What if I die?_ She had never considered that as an option before, and she had been in a tight spot or two (the life of an activist was never without danger). At those times, though, she was in control and out in the open. Now, she lived without knowing the time of day.

Footsteps sounded outside her cell door. Her stomach knotted in anticipation and dread-either she would be given a small bowl of rice to quell he hunger or she would be taken to an interrogation room and terrorized. The door swung open. A North Korean man in uniform stood before her, stony faced. She was taller than him, and stronger. She glanced to his waist. A revolver hung from his belt.

"Come with me."

-National Geographic HQ-

Alex Karev was having a day from hell. Very little in his life was going as he had planned. Webber had just chewed him out for a good forty-five minutes; and, of course, the coffee machine in the break room was on the blink. Life sucked, he guessed, but then again, life usually sucked.

"Hey, Yang, get your ass over here! We have to get a presentation prepped in the next twenty minutes to convince Avery to hand over some of his greenbacks." He held the phone away from his ear, but still managed to hear Yang's shouts-something about waking people up at five a.m.

"Look, I'm as pissed as anybody, but this is your problem, too, and you know it! Meredith's coming, too, so we can have a fun little powwow. It'll be just like old times," his tone, though sarcastic, yielded a bit, reluctantly acknowledging that to survive this mess, they would need to stand together.

"Fine." Yang sounded angry, but Alex would take what he could get.

"And listen, could you bring over your coffee m-"

A clicking noise and then a dial tone; of course Yang had hung up on him. He stared at the phone with disgust.

"Whatever."

-Seattle, Washington-

Jackson took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind. This wasn't going to be easy. "Okay Steph, you can put the president through now." His voice cracked when he said president and he mentally cursed.

He could almost hear Stephanie's eye roll as she complied, "Will do."

A click and then he forgot to breathe. Would her voice be the same? Would she end sentences in a higher pitch than she started them? Would her laugh collapse into a breathy snort after he told a joke?

"This is April Kepner. I only have ten minutes to talk, Jackson, so let's make it quick?" She made it seem like nothing had changed between them. Like nothing could phase the most powerful person in the world.

"Richard Webber called me not one minute ago about the North Korea crisis. I've already told him that I'm going to lend money to National Geographic's rescue efforts, so don't try to change my mind. We're going to work out the details in a few minutes."

"Jackson..." April's voice trailed off into the phone, creating a thousand questions and no answers. She sighed. Then, "I'm glad you said yes to him. I was actually calling to let you know that we're releasing our official statement about the situation tomorrow morning. We're planning to take action. I think that we have stood by and watched for too long."

"Nice to know we're on the same page about something." He sounded bitter, and he knew it, but so what? Her feelings weren't his problem any more.

"Jackson..." This time she sounded more guilty than lost.

"Thanks for calling. We'll talk again, I'm sure."

He hung up and exhaled slowly. At least that ordeal was over. Now onto something he might be able to control.

As he logged onto Skype, he noticed, for the first time, that the rain had caused a leak in the corner of his office.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, everybody! It's been a week since I last posted, which I think is pretty good. Thanks for your comments, they made my week brighter! Let me know what you think of this chapter. It might clear some things up...or maybe just create more questions...**

-National Geographic HQ, Six Weeks Earlier-

Callie's stomach was twisted in knots. She felt nauseous to a degree that usually only happened before she presented in front of a large audience. In a way, the situation was similar: in a minute, she was going to be introduced to Arizona freakin' Robbins. She respected and admired this woman on a personal and professional level. Journalism nerd that she was, Arizona was her celebrity crush of choice.

Callie had a pretty realistic understanding of her own natural tendencies. As in, she tended to babble when she felt excited or nervous. In this case, she felt both. Still, she wanted Arizona to understand that her babbles came from a place of passion and investment, not incompetence or frivolity.

Richard Webber's distinctively deep voice floated out into the waiting area where Callie sat. She knew from experience that he was wrapping up his conversation with Arizona. Any second now, the door would open and she would either meet the occasion with poise and confidence or...

"Torres, I'd like you to meet Arizona Robbins. You two will be heading into North Korea together. We'll get into those details later. In the meantime, make her feel welcome, show her around!"

"I-I-I-hair?"

"Excuse me?" Arizona's smile remained in place, but her brow furrowed, perplexed, as it were, by Callie's inability to form a coherent sentence. In her defense, Callie had been thrown off guard by the reporter's short, curly hair. In every documentary she had seen her in, Arizona's hair had been long and straight. She looked damn good with it cut.

_Jesus Christ, Callie, pull yourself together!_

"Hey, sorry, it's been a long night," she mustered up a smile and continued, "Anyway, there's not really a grand tour to give, much as Webber wishes there were. Why don't we just go get some dinner and talk about this assignment? I have some ideas and I figure you do, too." She trailed off at the end, praying that Arizona Robbins did, in fact, have some ideas.

"Oh, definitely! I've been dying to discuss this issue. I have a ton of ideas I want to bounce off you." She paused, and her voice took on a decidedly flirty tone. "But gosh, dinner? Don't you think it's a little early in out relationship to be wining and dining? I'm not an easy lay, Ms. Torres."

"What?! I never said- I didn't mean-Look, it wasn't my intention to-" Callie stuttered and blushed and generally made a fool of herself. _Dammit._

A frown spread across Arizona's face. She had been testing out her gaydar (which had pinged about .5 seconds after stepping into the hallway), but she hadn't wanted to fluster her new colleague. "I'm sorry, Callie. I was just messing with you. I guess maybe I should work on my joking voice."

Callie took a deep breath. _Get a hold of yourself, woman!_ "No, you no what? I'm being insane. I think all this coffee is giving me the jitters. I know you were joking, I just get weird without sleep. Look, let's meet at Joe's in an hour, okay? I have a few errands to run before then, but if it works for you?" Uncertainty hung around the question, but Arizona responded with a quick,

"That sounds super! It's the Emerald City Bar, right?"

"That's the one! Just take a left out of the main lobby and then go straight a few yards. Most of us go there when we have down time or just need a place to clear our heads."

The two women took comfort in a few minutes more of small talk. Both were experts in reading between the lines, so while the conversation may have seemed stilted to an outside observer, it flowed naturally for them.

When they parted, Arizona took Callie's hand in hers and gave it a warm shake. "See you in an hour," was all she said, but her eyes were searching.

Callie, eloquent as ever, replied with an embarrassed, "Yeah."

-Somewhere in North Korea-

She wasn't an easy lay, that was true. Thinking about it now, though, with snow lightly coating her blonde hair, she wish that she had been. About five minutes after meeting her, Arizona had realized that Callie Torres was a special woman. The type of woman who wanted more than fame or fortune (although she wouldn't say no to either). The type of woman who wanted a better, happier world.

Most people lost that idealism somewhere between graduating and searching for a job that would pay the bills. That Callie had retained and then harnessed her idealism warmed Arizona's heart.

She sensed Callie's confusion as they spoke. Her words seemed stilted and more than a little nervous. But Callie's heart held no confusion, of that Arizona was certain. She had (correctly) assumed that once they got to Joe's, as Arizona quickly learned to call the Emerald City Bar, Callie would loosen up.

She regretted her arrogance in talking to Callie. In their conversation at the bar, she made it seem like she was an expert in dangerous situations. After all, she had been in a few tight spots in her life, reporting on the sex trade in China and escaping poachers on a reserve in India. Still, she should have made it clear that every situation is unique and that the risks of entering North Korea illegally were extensive and harsh.

_It wasn't all arrogance. _

No, it was more than just cockiness on her part. She had wanted to _impress_ Callie, to make her feel safe and protected. The minute she met her, she had stopped being Arizona Robbins, ace reporter, and had started being Arizona Robbins, lovesick puppy. She had just gotten out of a long-term relationship, though, so she had refused to believe that her feelings were more than platonic.

Either way, Arizona worked under a strict "no dating colleagues" policy. She had always been fantastic at compartmentalizing her personal and professional lives. One gorgeous woman was not going to change that. Right?

_We spent six weeks together. And I fell in love. _

-National Geographic HQ-

"Here's your coffee, Alex, now would you shut the hell up?"

To grateful for the caffeine to respond sarcastically, Karev silently took the mug offered to him. He had missed Yang's belligerence and pseudo (he thought) animosity.

"Christ Karev, can you do anything right? What clusterfuck have you gotten us into, now?"

Or maybe he hadn't.

"Look Yang, this isn't about spreading blame, okay? We need to focus on getting Torres and Robbins out of this." His voice rose on its own; his face turned red. A vein in his neck throbbed viciously.

Cristina seemed about to protest his words, when Meredith entered the tiny room. "I'm out of here for one minute and you guys are at each other's throats? Seriously?"

"Mer, this guy is a douchebag and I think that should be established before we plan this speech."

"I know he's a douche, Cristina, but we just need to do this. I know you're upset about Callie..."

"Ugh, that bitch, whatever. Who goes and gets herself trapped in some isolated, backwards, totally evil country? What an idiot." Here, Cristina trailed off a bit from her rant. Meredith took the opportunity to pull the USB she had just retrieved from her car. She plugged the slim device into the computer and waited for it to load.

"If Avery doesn't agree to our proposal after we show him this, he's an idiot. This is gold."

No one voiced the obvious: _He has to agree_.


End file.
